The Forbes Travel Guide is one of the world’s most esteemed lists, and hotels around the world aspire to be named on it every year. The 2025 edition was just released, but only one location in New Jersey was included.
The Ashbury Ocean Club Hotel could now be considered the most luxurious hotel in the Garden State, after earning a “Recommended” rating from the experts at Forbes. Other hotels in the region should use this as inspiration and seek to up their games before the next edition of the guide is released.
It’s not hard to see why The Ashbury Ocean Club Hotel was recommended in the Forbes list. The luxury beachfront property offers stunning views of the ocean and is only a short walk from the shore. Along with that, it’s located close to the boardwalk and has all the local shopping and nightlife within arm’s reach.
The Forbes reviewers rated the location highly on their list, but they were impressed with a few other key features as well. The Drawing Room offers classic cuisine and retro-style furniture for guests to relax on. The exclusive pool deck and the spacious fitness studio were other key aspects of the hotel that helped to elevate it above others in the area.
When Forbes recommends hotels, it gives them a star rating to indicate their quality. There are three main levels within the magazine’s system, with Five-Star, Four-Star, and Recommended. Five-Star is given to the elite hotels that offer unmatched experiences and highly customized levels of service. Four-Star properties are still exceptional, but they haven’t quite made the top grade. Recommended is the third tier, but it’s still prestigious in the realms of the Forbes assessment. Ashbury Ocean Club received the Recommended grade, but it can now work towards achieving the star ratings.
The use of stars has become synonymous with luxury over the years, and it acts as an excellent way to grade hotels. The system is also used in other areas of hospitality as well, from restaurants to casinos. While New Jersey may not boast any Five-Star hotels in the Forbes list, it does have PlayStar, which is a five-star real money online casino NJ. It uses this rating to show players that they'll be getting an opulent experience, as the star system is easily recognizable as a reflection of quality. Where it differs, though, is that this experience is open to everyone, and you don't need to be part of the wealthy elite to enjoy it.
Other hotels in the region can try to learn from NJ’s five-star rated businesses and perhaps make their way into Forbes’ list next time. The Ashbury Hotel can certainly serve as inspiration, and others can seek to replicate its exceptional service and facilities. It’s also wise for hotels in the Garden State to focus on improving cleanliness and ensure that every aspect is well-maintained.
The fact that Ashbury Ocean Club Hotel was named in Forbes’ list is great news for the hotel and tourism industry in the Garden State. It will doubtlessly lead to a greater number of visitors to the region and will encourage other hotels to raise their standards.
